The
survey was based on 1,010 telephone interviews with a nationwide
cross section of adults surveyed in October 2002.

Dr.
Robert Butler, president and CEO of the International Longevity
Center, comments, "It is alarming that so many people believe that
the government regulates the labeling and claims made for vitamins,
minerals and food supplements when it does not do so."

Beliefs
About Government Regulation, Labeling, And Safety

Most
people are misinformed about the extent of government regulation
of vitamins, minerals and food supplements. They believe that supplements
must be approved by a government agency such as the FDA, that the
manufacturers are not allowed to make claims for their safety and
effectiveness unless there is solid scientific evidence to support
them, and that they are required to include warnings about potential
side effects or danger. However, relatively few people believe that
because supplements are natural substances, they are safe.

There
are very big differences between the beliefs of people with more
and less education. The more educated people are, the less likely
they are to be misinformed about the extent of government regulation
and labeling. However, substantial minorities even of those with
postgraduate education are still misinformed.

TABLE
1. Beliefs About Vitamins, Minerals And Food Supplements: "I
will read you some statements about vitamins, minerals and other
food supplements which are available in supermarkets, pharmacies
and health food stores. Please say, for each one, if you think
it is true or false."

Education

Percentage
saying statement is true

Total

HS
or less

Some
college

College
grad

Post
grad

The
government requires that their labels include warnings about
potential side effects or dangers.

68%

77%

64%

56%

46%

They
must be approved by a government agency like the Food & Drug
Administration (which approves pharmaceutical products) before
they can be sold to the public.

59%

70%

57%

41%

31%

Manufacturers
of these products are not allowed to make claims for their safety
or effectiveness unless there is solid scientific evidence to
support them.

55%

60%

56%

47%

39%

Because
these are natural substances, they are safe.

13%

17%

13%

10%

4%

Awareness
of and Attitudes Toward Anti-Aging Medicine

Just
over half (55%) of the public says they have seen, heard or read
something about the "anti-aging medicine." However, the overwhelming
majority (90%) does not believe that taking medication, vitamin,
mineral and food supplements can prevent people who are generally
healthy from growing old. Nevertheless, the seven percent (7%) who
do believe this represents some 15 million people who are potential
victims of the claims of anti-aging medicine.

TABLE
2. Seen, Heard, Read About "Anti-Aging Medicine": "Have
you seen, heard or read anything about what is called "anti-aging
medicine"?

Education

Total

HS
or less

Some
college

College
grad

Post
grad

Have
seen, heard or read

55%

49%

56%

67%

68%

Have not seen, heard or read

44%

51%

43%

32%

30%

Not
sure

*

*

1%

*

2%

TABLE
3. Will Medications, Vitamins, Minerals And Food Supplements
Prevent People From Growing Old? "Do you think that taking
medications, vitamins, minerals or food supplements will prevent
people, who are generally healthy, from growing old?"

Total

Yes,
will prevent

7%

Will
not prevent

90%

Not
sure

2%

TABLE
4. Can aging be stopped? "Some health advocates say that
the aging process can be stopped. Do you believe this is true
or false?"

Total

True

5%

False

94%

Not
sure

1%

TABLE
5. Tend To Believe Claims About Anti-Aging Medicines On TV:
"Do you generally tend to believe or not believe the claims
about anti-aging medicines that are often made in paid programming
and advertisements on television?"

Total

Believe

4%

Not
believe

94%

Not
sure

2%

Behaviors
That May Help To Keep People From Growing Old

Table
6 provides a detailed look at the beliefs of the public concerning
how various behaviors affect the aging process. In general, most
people are rather well informed. Substantial majorities believe
that regular exercise, not smoking, eating plenty of fresh fruits
and vegetables, not being overweight and having close relationships
with friends and family members help people "a lot" from growing
old.

TABLE
6. How Much Various Behaviors Help People From Growing Old:
"How much do you think each of the following help people who
are generally healthy from growing olda lot, some, not
much or not at all?"

A
Lot

Some

Not
much

Not
at all

Not
sure

Regular exercise

75%

17%

1%

6%

*

Not smoking

73%

11%

2%

11%

1%

Eating
plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables

68%

24%

1%

6%

*

Not being overweight

66%

19%

3%

11%

1%

Having close relationships with friends and family members

64%

24%

2%

9%

1%

Eating a low fat diet

49%

35%

6%

8%

1%

Vitamin supplements

23%

55%

10%

11%

1%

Mineral supplements

13%

53%

14%

15%

5%

Herbs and herbal products

12%

46%

18%

20%

4%

Hormone
or Estrogen Replacement Therapy or HRT for women

10%

43%

14%

19%

13%

Drinking alcohol in moderation

11%

31%

19%

38%

1%

Hormonal
therapies such as Growth, Testosterone, or DHEA

5%

30%

21%

28%

16%

Consumption
Of Vitamins, Minerals And Food Supplements

Seven
out of every ten adults (69%) take some vitamins, minerals or food
supplement products. The median number of vitamins, minerals or
food supplements taken every month is 30 (i.e., one per day). The
older people are, the more likely they are to take some vitamins,
mineral or food supplement. Women are slightly more likely than
men to take them. While more educated people are more skeptical
of the claims made about these products (Table 1) they are slightly
more likely to consume them than are people with less education.

TABLE
7. Ever Take Vitamins, Minerals And Food Supplements: "Do
you ever take any vitamins, minerals or food supplements?"

Education

Total

HS
or less

Some
college

College
grad

Post
grad

Yes,
take vitamins, minerals or food supplements

69%

65%

74%

72%

78%

No,
do not

30%

35%

25%

28%

22%

Not
sure

*



*

*



Median
number of pills, vitamins, etc. taken in last 30 days

30%

32%

29%

33%

34%

Note:
an asterisk (*) indicates response less than 0.5% and a dash
equals zero (0).

Methodology

This
survey was conducted by telephone within the United States between
October 15 and 21, 2002 among a nationwide cross section of 1,010
adults (ages 18+). Figures for age, sex, race, education, number
of adults and number of voice/telephone lines in the household were
weighted where necessary to align them with their actual proportions
in the population.

In
theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with
95 percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision
of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the
entire adult population had been polled with complete accuracy.
Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error
in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical
calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed
(non-response), question wording and question order, interviewer
bias, weighting by demographic control data and screening (e.g.,
for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify the errors that
may result from these factors.

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